SAVING PROPOSALS DISCUSSED IN LIGHT OF GOVERNMENT FUNDING SHORTFALL

Wokingham Borough Council faces an unprecedented financial challenge as it continues to work towards setting its annual budget next February.

The current Government proposal for local government funding could push the borough’s cumulative savings challenge for the next three years by more than £47million due to reduced Government grant.

The council is lobbying the Government for changes to its proposals that would protect the hardest hit councils, such as Wokingham Borough.

But even if this lobbying has some success, the savings required by the council are significant and would require reductions to some services and increased charges for others.

The first set of potential savings and income raising proposals was presented to the council’s Community and Corporate Overview and Scrutiny on Tuesday November 4.

The committee will hear details of potential changes, including:

• Introducing new parking charges and increasing existing ones

• Reducing grass cutting and vegetation maintenance

• Increasing charges for garden and bulky waste

It is also proposed to seek increased income from commercial activities at Dinton Pastures Country Park in Hurst and through increased advertising revenue.

The council is also looking at opportunities, such as increased permit fees for utility companies, working on roads and IT investment to provide efficiencies.

Executive member for finance Cllr Imogen Shepherd-DuBey said: “Setting a balanced budget for next year is going to be very difficult and will require tough choices. Some of the ideas to be discussed at the Overview and Scrutiny meeting are not palatable, but they are necessary, and I am afraid more changes such as these will be needed if the Government goes ahead with its proposed changes to local government funding.

“We have been found by independent experts to be a highly productive council and have made significant efficiency savings over recent years. We will continue to drive for productivity, but that must be alongside service reductions and increased charges if we are to balance the books.”

Earlier this year, Wokingham Borough Council was found to be the fifth most productive in the country by independent experts Impower and was also shortlisted for the prestigious MJ Council of the Year award.

The council is committed to focusing its limited resources on those people who need social care support and about 70 per cent of its spending is on adult and children’s services.

Leader of the council Cllr Stephen Conway said: “The vast majority of our spending rightly goes on supporting people. We are committed to helping those people who need us most, such as people who have learning difficulties, physical disabilities, health issues and other needs that only we can provide support for.

“With that necessary focus on people, we are unfortunately having to look to save money elsewhere; it is about prioritisation of our limited resources.”